Chestnut Top Trail

Hike #66 : April 25, 2016


10 miles
4.3 new miles
742.2 total overall miles
491.1 total miles of 800.8



Sunrise on Chestnut Top Trail


Today Denise, Randy and I head off on a Spring journey in search of the wonderful wild flowers of the Great Smokies! It's an early start to avoid all the other flower watchers (we're so antisocial! lol!)

Chestnut starts out from the Townsend Wye parking lot. The flowers are impressive early on as we begin the somewhat steep climb up.


A sampling of the flowers along Chestnut Top 

Chestnut is a wonderful trail. The climb is a bit steep at times, but the often pine needle covered trail is nice on the feet after some of the rock trails of late. We soon start spotting pink lady slippers all over the place!
.

Pink Lady Slippers

After about 3 miles or so of climbing, we finally reach the top of Chestnut Top!


Elevation marker atop Chestnut Top Trail

There were many surprising views from the trail...


View from Chestnut Top

The trail rolls up and mostly down over the next mile and a half before coming to the junction with Schoolhouse Gap Trail which I've previously blogged about a few years ago. Although we were a little underwhelmed with the spring flowers as a whole, as there really wasn't a large variety at the time, we still enjoyed the trail a great deal. 

I'll leave you with this ultra rare, seldom photographed, mysterious Winnebago Gardens of Townsend. Never approach these guys, the scare easily!




We did this trail as a car drop so we were able to continue on the Schoolhouse Gap and the White Oak Sinks before coming out at the Schoolhouse Gap parking lot. Another great and beautiful day in the GSMNP!


Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA



There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Pretty Hollow Gap and Little Cataloochee Trails

Hike #65 : April 17, 2016


17 miles
9.9 new miles
732.2 total overall miles
486.8 total miles of 800.8


View from the Mount Sterling fire tower.

I'm joined on my 65th hike in pursuit of the elusive 900 club membership by my lovely wife, Denise, my very good friend and hiking buddy, Randy Hullinger and none other than THE Jedi himself, Mr. Mike Maples!


The gang!

This 17-miler begins on the previously hiked Mt. Sterling Trail. I won't go into detail about it since I've already blogged about it here. But I will say its an amazing trail... beautiful views, solitude, peacefulness, the majesty of the birds of spring pooping on my wife.


Cleaning up the little birdie poo thinking she was well hidden behind Randy.
No one escapes the camera eye! Lol!

Anyway, after the steep climb to the fire tower, Denise and I made our way up while the smarter of the group, Randy and Mike, waited safely on solid ground. As I've said this time and many times before, I hate heights. It was comforting, however, when Denise pointed out the missing step and how rotten the wood seemed to be by stomping it with her foot. That wasn't scary at all. Thanks, babe!


Up on the tower of death.. uh, I mean the Mt. Sterling fire tower.
Photo by Mike Maples

After surviving the fire tower and taking tons of great pictures including one of the distant Mt. Cammerer fire tower...




...we were off down the Mount Sterling Ridge Trail to the junction with Pretty Hollow Gap where the new adventure begins.


At the junction with Pretty Hollow Gap

The first mile of Pretty Hollow was incredibly alive with spring flowers! As far as the eyes could see the forest floor was blanketed in beauty. No doubt how the trail was given it's name!










Pretty Hollow continues downhill and along Palmer Creek passing more flowers and a few really large trees.






Pretty Hollow really reminded me of another favorite trail of mine named Camel Gap. They both follow along a creek looking down to some flat, wet areas. There are numerous cascades and waterfalls along the trail on Pretty Hollow Creek, although nearly all of them would require some heavy duty off trail hiking which was not on the agenda for this particular hike. Tempting as it was. There were a few that were impressive though...




At just under 4 miles from Sterling Ridge, We pass campsite #39. A very large horse friendly camp.


Campsite #39

Since we had the original Jedi with us, we were lucky enough to visit a few old home sites just past the campsite. Mike can smell the dang things!


Some cool Jedi finds off Pretty Hollow Gap

The trail is 4.8 miles from Sterling Ridge to the junction with Little Cataloochee Trail although it really seemed longer than that. Even though Randy really, really, really wanted to add the extra .8 mile one way to Cataloochee Road, I played the part of evil dictator (his words, not mine) and insisted we head on up Little Cataloochee as planned.

Little Cataloochee Trail is an immediate surprise. The uphill was expected but the rocky, wet, muddy mess wasn't so much. Sometimes the little brown book is extremely helpful. Sometimes its extremely misleading, especially when it comes to trail profiles. Regardless of how it looks in the book, after having already walked a butt load of miles, this was some serious uphill.

When doing a little trail prep, I'd read Mike Gourley's Cataloochee Blog and was very interested in finding the single child grave of Charlie Burress. Gourley's directions were right on. Maples and I hiked the steep ridge up to the grave. Probably the steepest half mile of the entire day but worth every step. The grave rests upon the very top of what was most likely the most spectacular view in the area. Beautiful.


The grave of Charlie Burress  1907 - 1909

Returning to the trail and the uphill climb, our next stop was the barn remains just before reaching Davidson Gap.


Fading barn remains

At just under 2 miles along Little Cataloochee (what felt like about 10 miles!) we finally reached Davidson Gap and gladly began a little downhill action! We soon come across many signs of past life. Fence posts, rock walls... and about that time, Randy quietly and nonchalantly says "bear". The rest of us would have completely missed them. A very tired mom and her two cubs.




 A half a mile later the Dan Cook cabin comes in to view.


Dan Cook cabin

The cabin and surrounding property are beautiful. There's also the remains of an old apple house directly across from the cabin.


Apple house remains

From here the trail is more like I expected it to be all along, more or less a flat and wide roadbed. About three quarters of mile down the trail and we came to the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church. A magnificent beauty sitting up on a hill along with a cemetery.


Little Cataloochee Baptist Church

As Randy and I were paying our respects and having a serene quiet moment in the cemetery, a couple of nuts started ringing the church bell and scared the beejeezus out of us! Real funny, guys!

This was Denise's first hike with Mike and it seemed that they really hit it off... she loves listening to a good story and Mike sure loves to tell them! She also did a good job keeping up with him and that ain't easy.

Pressing on, we cross the Little Cataloochee Creek just before reaching the Hannah Cabin at just under four miles.


Hannah Cabin

Just past the cabin, the trail junctions with Long Bunk Trail leaving us with about a mile to go back to the car.

An amazing day! I'm so blessed to be able to hike with such terrific people in the most beautiful place on earth. Thanks for a great day, guys!





Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Porter's Creek (Again!)

Hike #64 : April 2, 2016


7.5 miles
0.9 new miles
739.7 total overall miles
476.9 total miles of 800.8



Porter's Creek in spring



Blog currently not available.







Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Goldmine Loop Trail

Hike #63 : March 18, 2016


3.5 miles
2.1 new miles
732.2 total overall miles
476.0 total miles of 800.8


Blog currently not available.







Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Cooper Creek Trail

Hike #62 : March 18, 2016


3.4 miles
0.5 new miles
728.7 total overall miles
473.9 total miles of 800.8


Blog currently not available.






Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Bradley Fork, Tow String and Smokemont Loop Trails

Hike #61 : March 17, 2016


9.5 miles
8.8 new miles
725.3 total overall miles
473.4 total miles of 800.8


Lufty Baptist Church in Smokemont

Today's hike starts off on the Benton MacKaye Connector Trail in Smokemont which runs from the Lufty Baptist Church parking lot at the main entrance to Bradley Fork.


Benton MacKaye Connector Trail

I'm joined by Denise and Randy as we make our way along the trail. Its a horse trail more so than a people trail it would seem but its still a nice walk. After a mile, we come to the Bradley Fork Trail. I will mention that according to research there is a cemetery located up past where the water tower used to be. The road to the now gone tower is wide and open out into a flat area. I ventured a ways back but there was no obvious trail and things got ugly fast. I decided to turn back since Randy and Denise were smart enough to just wait on me but I did see on old barbed wire fence so... I'll probably go back and look around some other time.

So back to Bradley Fork which is a rather flat roadbed. We walk along Bradley for 1.7 miles at an easy pace enjoying some early signs of spring including millions of little tadpoles! When we reach the Smokemont Loop Trail, we are greeted by an extra long foot bridge. Very nice!


Bradley Fork Trail

Cool long bridge at the beginning of the Smokemont Loop Trail

After crossing the bridge, our workout for the day begins as the trail climbs and climbs over the next mile and a half. The Smokemont trail is an obvious old railroad bed and there's still some remaining relics here and there. There's also a few views from time to time.


Smokemont Loop Trail

View from Smokemont Loop

After a while we come to the Bradley Cemetery which is just off trail and there are several paths that seem to somewhat lead to it. I was really saddened by the condition of the cemetery as it seemed so neglected. I've seen much more remote cemeteries in much better shape. There an access road that practically drives right up to this one.




The walk down this old access road is somewhat dismal also for the same reasons. Its just too neglected for some reason. This is the Great Smoky Mountains, it just seems we could and should do better. Somewhere around the 6 or 7 mile mark, the campsite starts to come into view and we hear the sounds of children playing.


The old car bridge from 1921

Things wind down after crossing the bridge and we make our way along the paved road back to the parking lot. We then set off on the Tow String Trail which is nothing more than a gravel horse path with copious amounts of mud and horse poop.




Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Deep Creek, Indian Creek, Juney Whank Falls, Loop, Martins Gap, Stone Pile Gap, and Sunkota Ridge Trails

Hike #60 : March 20, 2016


20.5 miles
13.0 new miles
729.3 total overall miles
464.6 total miles of 800.8


Denise and Randy (barely visible) hiking Sunkota in the dark...

I'd like to start this blog by saying this trip has been a long time in the planning. For me, at least. So when my wife, Denise, and my good hiking buddy, Randy, decided they were up for the trip I was beyond excited to finally get to the Deep Creek area of the Smokies. I studied and researched. Drew maps. Calculated this, pondered that... we were totally prepared.

We made a stop along the way at the visitor's center and to hike the Oconaluftee River Trail before making our way to Deep Creek. Now, I will mention that I had looked at three possible hikes in the area. I even color coded a map all nice and pretty like. Denise wanted to see the waterfalls so Randy suggested the "red" hike so we were off! Upon our arrival at Deep Creek we started off with the Juney Whank Trail up to our first waterfall. (Just remember, it was all Randy's idea!)



Juney Whank Falls

The Juney Whank Trail is a short walk that, although a bit steep to start, is pretty easy for such reward. The bridge across the falls is a nice touch. I can see why its so popular. From here, we continue on to the Deep Creek Trail passing by the Deep Creek Horse Trail along the way. At the junction with Deep Creek Trail, a left turns leads quickly to Tom Branch Falls. A sixty foot waterfall just to the right of the trail. A peaceful place for sure.


Tom Branch Falls

Beyond Tom Branch Falls, the trail continues a gentle grade up to the Indian Creek Trail junction where we turn right onto Indian Creek. About 200 feet from the junction, we came to Indian Creek Falls which was. in my opinion, the best of the three falls. Remarkable!


Indian Creek Falls

This is where most people turn around and head back home to the old couch and TV but we're here for more than sight-seeing, we're here for some miles. After half a mile on Indian Creek, we came to the Stone Pile Gap Trail and decided to do a quick out and back. Stone Pile was a much nicer trail than I expected although there were definitely piles of stone on the trail along with some really wet spots. We came across a trail maintenance crew and even met a few furry friends.


Walking along Stone Gap Trail...

Stone Gap is a pretty good .9 mile climb up to the Thomas Divide where we turn around and head back to Indian Creek. After returning to Indian Creek we take a right .3 miles up to the junction with Loop Trail. Since Randy is unhealthily obsessed with mile marking, we again do an out and back half a mile up (and I mean way up) the Loop Trail until we reach Sunkota Ridge and run uncontrollably back down where Denise was waiting patiently for the two idiots to return.

Continuing on along Indian Creek is a pleasant walk. It was around this time that I inquired with Randy what the odds were of us getting out before dark. "Shouldn't be a problem." he said. I wasn't so sure personally but Randy has never led me astray before so... wait. What am I saying? Randy is always leading me into some God-forsaken predicament. Oh, well... as Jimmy Buffett says, 'it's my own damn fault.' Lol!

About a mile and a half on up Indian Creek, a "No Horses" sign marks the side trail to the Laney Cemetery. Randy and Denise don't share my love for the cemeteries so they wait as I climb the somewhat steep trail up.


Laney Cemetery

The trail continues it mostly flat walk and after about a mile and a half more we came to the second side trail leading to the Queen Cemetery. These cemeteries are almost always up a steep hill and this one is no different.


Queen Cemetery

Around a quarter mile past the cemetery we come to the Deep  Low Gap Trail junction. It gets a little confusing here as continuing straight would seem like you're continuing Indian Creek when, in fact, the trail becomes Martins Gap at the junction. From here, the Earth shifts on it's axis to insure that every step we take is uphill. Sometimes steep, sometimes not terribly steep but always, always up.

Now, bear in mind, my lovely bride is new to hiking. We hiked a bit in the past many moons ago but this is only her 4th hike in the last seven or eight years. I'm starting to think we may be pushing her a bit far here but she's doing an excellent job and besides, we're all long past the point of return now.

Martins Gap climbs steadily and seemingly endlessly up to Sunkota Ridge. Its beautiful but brutal at the same time. I'm really feeling guilty for dragging Denise into this because its more than I bargained for... I can only imagine what she was thinking.


Reaching Sunkota Ridge...

Looking at that picture would lead you to believe we'd finally reached the top. Yeah, that's what we thought, too. Hardly. At least we were, at last, heading back. Sunkota climbs steeply for just less than a mile before the hiking gods finally had mercy on us and blessed us with reaching the tippy top of this massive hike. What kept Denise from beating me and Randy to a pulp with her hiking poles is beyond me. I guess she, like us, was just too damn tired. Oh, and the sun is going down.


A handmade cross of sorts marks the small clearing at the very top of Sunkota Ridge.

A few miles down and its painfully obvious that not only are we not getting out before dark but we're not even going to be close. Seems I recall somebody saying we would be... hmmmm, who was that?

If you've ever been on a really long hike, you're probably aware that no matter how tired you are or how much pain you may be in, its still a crapload of fun. Especially when the delirium kicks in! We were laughing at our misfortunes, miscalculations and missing energy. Picking on each other and just being the hilarious stupid people we are. It was awesome.

After about a million miles (actually, just 3.8 miles but it felt like just shy of a million), we were grudgingly stomping along in the darkness when we made it back to the Loop Trail. Still a ways to go. My GPS had been a bit squirelly all day when it came to distances, so we just keep going and hoping the end comes sooner rather than later. Shortly after the junction with Loop Trail, another "No Horses" sign secretly points the way to an Indian cemetery. Against better judgment and plain old common sense, I venture up the hill alone with just my headlamp to guide the way. Creepy and beautiful. I couldn't help but think what it would be like if my light went out. It'd be dark. Super crazy dark.


Indian cemetery off Deep Creek Trail... at night.

Once we were back on Deep Creek Trail, it was easy walking aside from aches and pains. Its amazing how water looks while night hiking. Its reminiscent of that black alien goo from the X-Files. Kinda creepy. Kinda cool. After following Deep Creek for 1.7 miles, we see the most glorious flickering of lights reflecting from our headlamps... the beautiful sight of the gate and parking lot where we once stood so naively. I bust out in to a verse of 'Glory, glory hallelujah!' as we walked off the trail at 10:30 like three beaten down, smelly and yet somehow still remarkably attractive hikers. Lol!




Even through all the insanity of it all, it was still a great day and absolutely unforgettable. I have to say that I was and I still am extremely proud of my beautiful wife for not only surviving this craziness but doing it with a smile. I think she'll be a hiker for life after this. And not only that, she actually made dinner when we got to the cabin afterward while Randy and I sat and whined about our aches and pains whilst planning the next hike. Best hot dogs ever!

As for Randy... well, in the end, it was all his fault. Thanks, dude.  :)





TRAIL REVIEW

Juney Whank Trail - 0.3 mile

Deep Creek Trail - 1.7 miles x 2

Stone Pile Gap Trail - .9 mile (one way)

Indian Creek Trail - 3.7 miles

Loop Trail - 1.1 miles (plus .5 for the out and back)

Martins Gap Trail - 1.5 miles

Sunkota Ridge Trail - 3.8 miles



Juney Whank Falls

Tom Branch Falls

Indian Creek Falls

Campsite #46

Laney Cemetery

Queen Cemetery

Indian Cemetery (Deep Creek)




Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.

Oconaluftee River Trail

Hike #59 : March 20, 2016


1.5 miles
1.5 new miles
715.8 total overall miles
451.6 total miles of 800.8


The beginning of the Oconaluftee River Trail from the Cherokee side.

The Oconaluftee River Trail runs behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, through the Mountain Farm Museum and along the river. Its an easy walk and a good way for me, my wife Denise (who, by the way, joins me for the first time on a mile marker hike!) and good friend Randy Hullinger to begin our spring break hiking getaway into the Deep Creek area of the Smokies.

We began our walk as the trail begins just past the Blue Ridge Parkway at the park boundary to Cherokee and works its way back to the visitor center. Its a nice flat walk that soon passes under the Blue Ridge Parkway.


Passing under the Blue Ridge Parkway.

As we began to pass the open fields of the Mountain Farm Museum, we spotted an elk prancing around.



The museum is very nice with loads of history to take in, including the Davis cabin and many other outbuildings from various places in the park.













TRAIL REVIEW

Oconaluftee River Trail - 1.5 miles


Mountain Museum Farm

Oconaluftee Visitor Center




Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA


There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.